Imphal, April 20 2010:
Three organisations are all set to ask the Manipur tribal MLAs and ministers who are also members of the Hill Area Committee (HAC) to resign if the state government in its April 21 cabinet meeting takes a decision to go ahead with the elections to the Autonomous District Councils under the present status.

Even as it is imposing a 48-hour bandh in the hill districts of Manipur since last night, the Manipur Tribal Joint Action Committee Against Election Under Unwanted District Council Act (MT-JAC-AEUUDCA) or 'Manipur tribal JAC' has asked the 20 tribal MLAs and ministers of Manipur to resign from their membership as MLAs on moral ground in case the outcome of the April 21 Manipur Cabinet meeting goes against the interest of the tribal people.

The JAC also affirmed that April 21 would be marked as "Black-day' if the Wednesday Cabinet meeting takes a 'negative' decision while the Chiefs Association, Manipur (CAM) and United North East Tribal Village Chief Council (UNETVCC) in its meeting held at Senapati today threatened to take up drastic forms of agitation and also to demand for the resignation of tribal MLAs and ministers if the elections to the ADC under the present status are to be held.

CAM president N Salew and UNETVCC president P.D.Shammi said that going ahead of elections under the Manipur (Hill Areas) District Council Act, 2008 will amount to killing the tribal peoples' rights and confiscation of tribal peoples' properties in tribal areas of Manipur.

"We will fight tooth and nail to protect the tribal peoples' rights and will never allow ourselves to be imposed by such devilish act," fumed the CAM and UNETVCC.

Meanwhile, the 'Manipur Tribal JAC against Election Under Unwanted District Council Act said that as such, in the event of any negative decisions being adopted by the April 21 Cabinet meeting, all tribal people especially especially the district units of the JAC have been instructed to keep with full alert and ready for any eventuality.

The JAC also submitted a lengthy memorandum to the Governor of Manipur in this connection today.